Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-04
COMMITTEE RESEARCHES
INTO MATTERS CONNECTED WITH
GRAIN TRANSPORTATION,

INTO MATTERS CONNECTED WITH
GRAIN TRANSPORTATION,
And How the Price of Wheat Is Affected
Thereby-A Leaf from the Treasury
Books-CoIman with His Back Up-The
Outlook in CONGRATULATIONS Leg
islation.
WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. 4.-Senator Al
drich made public Monday night the report
of the senate committee on transportation
routes TO the seaboard on the SUBJECT oil rail-
road freights in the United States and for
eign countries. The report contains taou-
lated statements of the progress IN prodnc-
ton and transportation IN the princlpaI
countries of the world. Efforts were made
by the committee to group together the aver
age yearly prices Of grain at the various
grain centers of the United States for a series
OF years, and to show the difference IN price
per bushel at various points between these
geographical sections, which would represent
in measure the freight and the tendency OF
the rates of freight charges 1t is shown Tor
example, that the difference in the prices oil
corn between the Atlantic ports and the lake
ports has steadily declined from II cents
per bushel in 1878, to 10 cents per bushel in
iss;; between the Atlantic ports and the
western river ports, from 10 cents in 1873, to
II cents in 1888.
An attempt was made by the COMMITTEES TO
ascertain the rates of freight from the prin-
eipalfntermediate points to the seaboard. and
also from the intermediate points to the prin-
cipal cities of various states. The investiga-
ton was conducted in hopes Of ascertaining
facts in regard TO the difference OF rates
charged for long hauls and short hauis, and
to throw light upon the veXed question OF
long and short hauls In relation to this In
Huiry the committee says:
II the returns from which the above sum
mary is constructed may be relied on and
the committee has been careful in selecting
only returns that appeared on their face
correct, the rates charged for local freight
are evidently levied on the somewhat gen
eral principle of what the traffic will bear.
In Massachusetts,, when terminals are taken
into considerat the cost OF transporting a
bushel of wheat is more nearly equitable than
in any other state represented IN the sum
mary. Still we find the anomaly Of lesser
rate for thirty-six miles than for fifteen
Il
higher than in Massachusetts,. In Ohio the
rate is about the same on sixty miles as it is
on ninety, while the long haul Of 2l6 miles,
instead of being relatively less, is relatively
greater. In Massachusetts, in 1883, 1t cost
SO cents TO transport bushel OF wheat
sixty-four miles; the cost in Connecticut FOL
Transporting the same quantity OF grain
sixty-two miles was cents; in Pennsyi
vania, sixty miles, 80 cents, AMI in Ohio
sixty miles, scents. OF course the condition:
may not have been the same Further wes
we find Kansas paying AZ cents per bushe
for transporting a bushel OF wheat forty
miles, and Massachusetts, for the same sery
ice, thirty-six miles, ~ cents, while Cali
fornia pays SIS cents per bushel for fifty
miles.
Turning from the United States to foreign
countries the committee shows the produc
ton and consumption of cereals in Europe
and brings out the fact that the increase IL
population has been relatively much CREATE
in the great grain producing countries thai
it has been in the grain buying countries
The United Kingdom appears to have pur
chased about two-thirds Of all the wheat tn
United States exported during this period
and therefore special attention has bee
given to England's supply of wheat. Fo
this purpose table was prepared giving
SUMMARY VI tue "llCdt AifC4 80 AllAO "a
United kingdom Of Great Britain and Irt
land from various countries during th
period q years., from 1896 TO 1872 inclusive
and the decades from 1913 to 1879 inclusive
showing the total importations of wheat an
the proportions furnished by the Unite
States. Russia, Germany, British Nor;
America. Egypt, France, Denmark and a
other countries. In commenting on tn
table. the COMMITTEES says:
A glance at this summary not only SHOW
the rapidity of the agricultural growth
the United States and its Importance as
food exporting country, but it also presen
some of the economic changes that ha7
taken pace in Europe. In the first periC
the United States supplied less than D
cent of the wheat imported into the Unite
Kingdom. in the last period 1t supple
nearly 81 per cent: from less than 1,001, O
bushels it increased by q series of leaps ar
bounds to about 503, 0O0. 900 bushels ExceI
ing the rapid growth OF imports of whe
from India (which does not appear in Oh
table, India being classified under ''all 9th
countries " there is no instance in econom
history of growth so rapid.
One Of the most important features of t
report is the showing in tabular form of t
prices Of wheat for series of years in {
principal countries of the world The
tables show that 1.-THE average yearly pri
Of wheat is lowest in India, ranging from
cents per bushel at Calcutta to s 1G2
Bombay, between 1871 and 1888. RI
sia comes next, the average
the decade being Sl2S per busl
at Warsaw; SLIT per bushel
st. Petersburg, and Si.l5 Per bushel
Odessa In the German empire the pr
varies somewhat, according to location T
free port of Bremen appears to enjoy I
lowest price-s1 SO per bushel-and Stett
on the Baltic, the highest-sl.70 per bush
The average price of wheat at the princil
grain port of England was exactly $50 !
bushel. Rouen and Nantes are the cheap
wheat ports in France, namely: Sl.4o !
bushel and 81 50 per bushel respectively,
Important facts are brought out in the
port relating to ocean transportation a
the comparative cost of freight from Ind
Russia and the United States to CIR
Britain. and 4 table Is given showing,
comparison. the rates of freight for Gers
during a series of years from the three pI
cipal ports of British India,
great northern and southern pc
of Russia and the Atlantic and Pacific pC
of the United States, TO Great Britain
this table the committee says in part:
The general fact, and the one of grea
Importance tothe United States, is the stet
decline in the cost of transportation and
possibility that, with increased freight
carry, the rates between Europe and
most important and nearest ports of In
iKurrache an Bombay will continue to
cline Should this tendency continue, it
not lie long before the cost of carrying WI
from India to Continental Europe and
Unit.-l Kingdom will be ms low as betw
the Atlantic ports and those markets.
CONDITION OF THE TREASURY